The lower house of the Russian parliament on Wednesday approved a new law that will allow the government to fine or imprison people who post online content criticizing Russian officials or otherwise displaying “disrespect for society, the state, (and) state symbols of the Russian Federation.”
The bill officially aims to help the government fight fake news, but analysts consider it part of an ongoing effort by the Russian government to exercise greater control over what happens on the Russian Internet. The Kremlin also plans to test the independence of the country’s internet, known as Runet, by disconnecting it from the global Internet at some point before April 1.
Read more: New law lets Russia jail people who ‘disrespect’ the government online
